Last Thursday, October 31, United States District Judge John F. Walter handed down the latest chapter in the seemingly never-ending saga of the firing, re-hiring, and then un-hiring of former Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy Caren Carl Mandoyan.

In a ten-page order, Judge Walter, an appointee of George W. Bush, ruled to dismiss with prejudice the federal civil rights lawsuit filed by Carl Mandoyan on March 4, of this year claiming that he has been subjected to retaliation based on his constitutionally protected right to free speech, and his political associations.

Carl Mandoyan attempting to break into his ex-girlfriend’s apartment/via screenshot from video supplied by LA County Civil Service Commission in response to CPRA request

(For those unfamiliar with the legal term “with prejudice,” it means that the matter is done, over, fini, and cannot be refiled in any form.)

Specifically, the lawsuit alleged that Mandoyan was retaliated against for his efforts to get Sheriff Villanueva elected in 2018 and, before Villanueva, for his active support of James Hellmold, who right now is the Chief of the LA County Sheriff Department’s Special Operations Division, and was one of those who ran against former Sheriff Jim McDonnell in the 2014 political race that ultimately resulted in McDonnell’s election.

Yet, Judge Walter bought none of the arguments and further shredded the former deputy’s allegations with his ruling that Mandoyan had no legal standing to bring the lawsuit in the first place.

Here’s what happened.

Conspiracies and cabals

As most readers know, Carl Mandoyan was terminated in September 2016, based on allegations by his former girlfriend, which described a range of unpleasant behavior including domestic abuse in the form of physically choking her with his hands around her neck for approximately 30 seconds until she was able to escape to her bedroom. In addition, his ex, who was also at the time a deputy sheriff, told of Mandoyan’s bullying and attempting to control both social her life with women’s friends, and her work life. The allegations included multiple attempts to break into her home, several of which were caught on video. Then Mandoyan allegedly lied about his various actions in an interview with investigators from the LASD’s Internal Affairs Bureau. Added to all this, the alleged victim recorded a phone call in which Mandoyan threatened her with reprisals from his powerful “Grim Reaper” friends. (The “Grim Reapers” are a deputy gang, of which Mandoyan is reputed to be a tattooed member.)

Mandoyan’s September 15, 2016 discharge was the culmination of an investigation and administrative review process that stretched over 14 months and produced an almost 500-page Internal Affairs investigation file.

The former deputy appealed his discharge to the Civil Service Commission. The resulting Civil Service hearing took place over a five-day period in July 2017, resulting in approximately 962 pages of transcription and approximately 600 pages of exhibits. Mandoyan declined to testify at this hearing.

On January 4, 2018, the commission’s hearing officer issued a 29-page report, upholding the Department’s decision to discharge Mandoyan.

Text Civil Service Commission’s Mandoyan hearing

Mandoyan’s then-attorney filed objections to the hearing officer’s recommended decision, and on May 16, 2018, Mandoyan argued his objections before the Civil Service Commission. But, on May 23, the commission overruled Mandoyan’s objections and adopted the hearing officer’s decision as its final decision.

In August 2018, Mandoyan filed two civil complaints further challenging the Civil Service Commission’s decision. At the end of 2018, he withdrew the complaints as a condition of being reinstated to the LASD by Sheriff Villanueva.

(You can review the approximately 2000 pages of documents, plus photos, videos, interview transcripts, et al, pertaining to Mandoyan’s dismissal, nearly all of which WitnessLA has also reviewed. Most of the material is archived on the website of the Office of the Inspector General as part of his report on the reinstatement of Mandoyan.)

Mandoyan’s 2019 complaint that was dismissed last week, however, posits an elaborate backstage drama in which the previously mentioned LA Sheriff’s Department cabal hid an interview with a department member named Lisa Richardson, which Mandoyan said would have given critical support to his version of events. Mandoyan also alleged that his LASD political enemies “tampered with and modified evidence to transform exculpatory evidence into incriminatory evidence.” The exact nature of this tampering and modifying was not specified.

“A substantial motivating factor for the termination was Plaintiff’s political speech, affiliation, and association,” the complaint states.

The four women

The Mandoyan complaint further alleges that after Mandoyan was reinstated by Sheriff Villanueva at the end of December 2018, four members of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, who had “supported McDonnell,” and “knew that Plaintiff was a key campaign aide that had helped get Villanueva elected,” made public statements about

LA County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, via Sheila Kuehl

Bizarrely, Mandoyan’s lawsuit doesn’t take issue with all the board members, just the women are called out, specifically Supervisors Sheila Kuehl, Janice Hahn, Hilda Solis, and Kathryn Barger, and not Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas.”

As a consequence, according to the complaint, these four female board members “were acting according to a policy which they had secretly agreed upon and were vigorously enforcing,” in the manner of some kind of mad vendetta, intending to “punish deputies actively supporting political movements and candidacies not approved of by the Board of Supervisors.”

Even worse, the complaint alleged, “based upon the aforementioned policy,” the same four board members, “began a series of retaliatory acts against Plaintiff as a result of Plaintiff’s political speech during the campaign and political affiliation and association with the newly elected Sheriff. ”

These “retaliatory acts” included directing Sheriff Villanueva “to terminate Plaintiff, and refusing to pay Plaintiff wages and provide benefits for his employment as a deputy sheriff.”

Amid the allegations against the four supervisors, there was no mention of a “cabal,” although that appeared to be the implication.

Supervisors Mark Ridley-Thomas and Janice Hahn, via WLA

(While we’re on the topic, in the interest of accuracy it should be noted that, in such actions as the strongly-worded letter that the LA County Board of Supervisors sent to the sheriff on January 30, 2019, advising Villanueva that the supervisors had “grave concerns” over how the Mandoyan reinstatement has been handled and the “message it sends to law enforcement personnel, as well as victims of domestic violence and the public at large,” the letter was signed by all five members of the board, not just the four women. Also, in the case of at least one of the motions pertaining to the board’s concerns over Mandoyan’s rehiring, Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas was the primary author of the thing.)

The other lawsuit

To put these complaints in a somewhat more factual context, one needs to remember that, on Monday, August 19, LA County Superior Court Judge Mitchell L. Beckloff ordered a preliminary injunction against the rehiring of Mandoyan, whose reinstatement by Sheriff Alex Villanueva the Board of Supervisors—all five of them—contended, along with their attorneys, was not lawful.

The ruling came after months of claims by Sheriff Villanueva that he assuredly had the power to rehire Mandoyan, who the sheriff said been unfairly terminated by former sheriff Jim McDonnell.

“It’s the issue of due process,” Villanueva said at a March 2019 press conference referring to why he felt it was necessary to rehire Mandoyan. “And when it comes to defending and supporting the Constitution, particularly the 14th Amendment, it’s very important.”

In his August 19, order, Judge Beckloff wrote that Mandoyan must now “cease to hold himself out as a Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff,” that he must “relinquish all County property in his possession,” including his badge, his gun, and his uniform.

This particular part of the Mandoyan drama began on March 4 of this year, when the board chose to file a lawsuit against Sheriff Villanueva arguing that the sheriff acted outside the scope of his authority in rehiring Mandoyan.

The Supervisors’ lawsuit—which is technically known as a Petition for a Writ of Mandamus—is expected to be settled in its entirety at a future court trial.

The ruling

All of this brings us back to last week’s federal ruling.

So why did Judge Walter dismiss Mandoyan’s most recent lawsuit?

Well, for several reasons.

First of all, Walter declined to wade into the primary arguments that Mandoyan’s attorneys presented, claiming their client was innocent of all the charges that led to him being terminated. The judge also ignored claims that Mandoyan was only fired because of evidence that was either tampered with or was not considered at all by the Civil Service Commission, due to the alleged nefarious actions of various sheriff’s department members loyal to Jim McDonnell.

In short, in his ruling, Judge Walter did not consider whether or not Mandoyan should or shouldn’t have been fired, but instead, told Mandoyan and company that the whole question was legally moot in terms of this lawsuit.

“Plaintiff seeks to re-litigate his claims related to the propriety of his termination in 2016,” the judge wrote. But that ship, said the judge, had sailed. “The doctrine of resjudicata,” he wrote, “precludes Plaintiff from relitigating claims that were fully and finally resolved on the merits in a prior action.”

California’s legal doctrine of res judicata basically means, with only certain exceptions, that one can’t keep revisiting the same legal question just because one didn’t like the outcome the first time, or thinks the lawsuit could have been better approached from a different legal angle. (It’s more complicated, but that’s the basic concept.)

The attorneys representing LA County made a similar point in their motion to dismiss the former deputy’s complaint: if Mandoyan believed that he was “wrongfully terminated as a result of political animus,” they wrote, “he should have raised that claim before the Civil Service Commission.” But he cannot now, the county’s lawyers argued, “get a second bite at the apple by recasting his alleged injury in constitutional terms.” In other words: res judicata.

Judge Walter agreed.

With the first part of the complaint thus dispatched this left the second part of the lawsuit, according to the judge, which meant addressing the allegation of “retaliatory conduct” by the County of Los Angeles as it relates to Mandoyan’s political support of Villanueva “which occurred after his termination was upheld by the Civil Service Commission.”

Yet, the judge dispatched Part 2 of the lawsuit with even more force and speed, writing that Mandoyan had no legal right “to employment with LASD,” so he has “no standing to complain about conduct that allegedly occurred after his termination was upheld.”

To further illustrate, Walter started quoting case law: Where a plaintiff is “not entitled to his job at all,” he wrote, the plaintiff has “no standing to complain that his discharge was violative of the First Amendment.”

No legal right to reinstatement

In other words, the bottom line of Judge Walter’s ruling was that the second part of the lawsuit, namely the section alleging retaliation after he was reinstated, was a total non-starter because Sheriff Villanueva “had no authority to reinstate” Mandoyan at all.

“In Los Angeles County, Civil Service Rule 17.01.A sets forth the requirements for reinstatement after separation from County service,” the judge wrote.

Here’s the relevant rule:

After approval by the director of personnel, any person who has been separated from county service without fault or delinquency may be reinstated by the appointing power within two years from the date of such separation.

Therefore, said the judge, a former employee can only be reinstated after separation from LA County in limited circumstances, which are the following: (1) if the reinstatement has the approval of the Director of Personnel; (2) the reinstatement is within two years of separation; and (3) the underlying separation from COLA was “without fault or delinquency.”

Mandoyan’s rehiring “obviously failed to meet any of the requirements for reinstatement and, thus, was void,” wrote Judge Walter.

He reemphasized the point by referring to the August ruling by Superior Judge Michael Beckloff who, when Beckloff ordered a preliminary injunction against the rehiring of Mandoyan in the summer, saying it was “undisputed” that Mandoyan was rehired “in violation of applicable Civil Rules.”

And basically, that was that—at least when it came to this particular chapter of the Mandoyan drama. Yet, there are assuredly more chapters still to come.

Hey, wonderful readers,

As we continue daily to probe critical stories that would otherwise be ignored, we have made, and continue to make, a measurable difference in the world of justice and justice reporting.

C: excellent report. I think the takeaway needs to be that AV needs better advisors who will guide him (drag him if necessary) to the right decisions in the future. Regrettably, I don’t think he’s placed enough executives in places to help him, and he fired ones who had significant institutional knowledge. Any additional attempts to bring back Mandoyan will be a mistake that could torpedo AV’s next election.

@ Dose – Torpedo AV’s next election is an understatement. He is done. It was AV’s responsibility to build his own culture as Sheriff, one which would get the best out of his executive and command teams in different ways, on the lessons learned from his predecessors. But what did this bewildered LT who had some weird aversion that somehow there was a plot hatched to not promote him to Captain or above do; he let go of lifelong and dedicated member’s of the Department. ( yes some were tainted ) – but the other’s were proud member’s of the Department. Oh wait he did keep the sleezy guy who weaseled himself back in – (yes you all know who I am talking about Baca’s driver – apologies H – no respect for you here). Their loyalty was to the Department, and the people they served and that was it. They did not have loyalty to McD, or Baca or Scott or Block.

They had integrity and decency; enough to be confident and humble in their mistakes, tough through adversities, and aware that that they all seek meaning in their work. They knew what they said was important, but what they did was far more important, because their subordinates were always watching them.

Most importantly they treated all Departmental employees with respect and dignity, without regard of position at the Department. You know why – because they wanted to protect the “reservoir of trust and credibility” which makes possible all their work at command and executive levels.

Does AV really know the kind of Leader he wants to be ?

Or is hiring guys back, who have already destroyed this reservoir of trust and credibility going to be his short and convoluted legacy.

Wow you are a obtuse as they come. The command staff of both Baca and McDonnell were self serving opportunists who didn’t give a dam about anything or anyone but themselves. Their record and their silence speaks volumes. Of course the bitter ramblings of those who had their privilege card yanked always makes its way to these pages, but please tell me what value do they bring to the table?

And you think only the ivory tower has institutional knowledge? Sheriff V was stuck with a dearth of ethical leaders, but so far it’s a work in progress with new leadership. You think he’s toast just like the political establishment thought last year, how did that turn out? Imagine now with name recognition…

@ KD- I bet he has name recognition – Sheriff V hires Deputy Mandoyan, part of the reaper clique of Deputies, who was fired for beating up his girlfriend. Sheriff V hires convict son Jared V, convicted of DUI and disregarding Court orders. Sheriff V re-hires Deputies fired for cause ( Domestic abuse issues ). Sheriff V does not get along with BOS – Total disregard for County policies. Sheriff V hires retired Deputy who takes contraband into County jail.

So let me get this right – Doing townhalls and getting into these senseless monologues just to get some sort of notoriety – Fellow deputies say they quiver when AV struggles to even finish sentences. Is that the name recognition you are talking about KD ?

@415 Enigma- I can already tell you are a horrible cop. So Carl beat up his girlfriend? You were there? You saw it? I dont know what kind of a cop you are but if someone makes an ALLEGATION that someone beat them up, you better have more than just that. If you took your reports based off allegations, you for sure got innocent people locked up in jail.

@415 Enigma- Well I cant speak about those other names you mentioned but I am not the same person. Once again, showing your “I know everything” mentality. That’s probably why you are so hateful. How many stations and units did you get ran out of because of your “I know everything” mentality? I bet you were the question recruit in your class.

@ 415 Enigma- “Some were tainted” is the biggest understatement of the century. Brass were lining up outside of HOJ just to see McDonnell and kiss his Celtic rings. Whatever he asked of them, they did it without questions or concern. McDonnell was known to promote people the more cases they put on deputies. It pretty much became a competition. With my own ears, I overheard a Lieutenant telling a sergeant that she was pissed because another lieutenant had just filed 3 cases on deputies making that lieutenant in the lead. The lieutenant talking to the sergeant said “I’d better go walk around find some cases if I want that pay bump.” That was the mentality of the brass.

Let me quote the order from Judge Walter ” Mandoyan’s rehiring obviously failed to meet any of the requirements for reinstatement and, thus, was void”.

Done – Case over – Oh wait I bet there is one coming in April – Why do we continue supporting this agonizing, continuous flow of obsession with Deputies who have been released of their duties for conduct issues, whether it’s DUI’s, DV assaults, not being truthful to I.A investigators. We just talked about Deputy Scotti. What a shitbag he was. The irreparable damage done to the Department -undermining the honor of the badge- Do we really want a reputation as a Department that hires ( and re hires terminated Deputies ) Drunks, wife beater’s, and sexual predator’s. Really !!!!

I think it starts at the top. Do we have a leader who can show that extraordinary judgement which is the bedrock of great leadership ?

The flamethrowers will deflect this important question or ( in this case support this transgressive behavior ) rather than facilitate an open and productive discourse.

C: Certainly, your learning curve is showing. A much better article without so much kool-Aid.

Both Sheriff AV and Bob Lindsey promised to give the deputy his job back. And there was certainly enough “past practice” to support rehiring. There have been numerous other, just as violent, cases where the deputy was rehired. However, the judge had made his decision and we are done.

Please note how the judge came to his decision based ON THE LAW! And never forget, all of us still with the system of Criminal Justice to remember that for decades, slowly but effectively, the two tier levels of justice prevails. We just let out thousands of hard core criminals and doing all we can to give them a new start in life. Sadly, few will change their lives. However, if you are a cop you will get your life destroyed. NOTE: The deputy was never charged less convicted of any crime. The jerk, Scotti was on McDonnell’s watch!

Sheriff AV was correct in firing all the past execs who kissed the backsides of McDonnell to get promotions. There is no such thing as institutional knowledge. In fact, knowledge that becomes institutional becomes fraught with deceit and cowardice. I.E. Hemmold kept his position? Is anyone really missing the fired execs?

Sheriff AV is very popular in the communities we serve and few care about this case. Ask a stranger, not in uniform and hear what response you get. The few that do know about the case, it doesn’t effect their view of Sheriff AV. May I add, I speak to dozens of line Deputies every week and they like what Sheriff AV is doing. If you want to chamge the department -it starts with you and not the top. If you wait for change of behavior “at the top” you’re going to wait a long time.

How strange WLA nor any other media source could find the woman in question and interview her? She is hiding in plain sight. It would have no effect on the outcome of this case but, it would answer questions about her behavior.

For those of you still acting out please ask of yourself would this be worth it? If you want to consider what NOT to do just look where Baca sits!

Dose of Reality, you need a dose of reality! AV has no advisors other than his wife. Between the two of them, they have made bad decision after bad decision. When you are the smartest guy in the room, you don’t take, nor do you need anyone else’s advice. If you think this is going to change, you need to get a different moniker.

That “open and productive discourse” needs to begin with admitting an extraordinary set of events took place when McDonnell took office, centered on the creation of the Constitutional (?) Policing Advisor and the hiring of one Diana Teran. Here are some facts of the Mandoyan case you may or not be familiar with:

1. Mandoyan was not the first but the THIRD deputy the alleged victim complained assaulted her, and all three claims bear a striking similarity: she was using the complaint process to clear her social calendar of undesirable associations.

2. The alleged victim admitted under oath to calling the deputy and taunting him with a threat to put a false claim against him, something that should have been taken at her word by IA and the hearing officer but was ignored.

3. The alleged victim’s story kept changing as she told it, and conflicted with all other testimony.

4. The alleged victim admitted to sending multiple text messages to the deputy throughout the period of the alleged assault and break ins, including “I love you” on the night in question from the porch video.

5. The alleged victim admitted that the deputy was sleeping in her apartment 4-5 times a week, INCLUDING THE DAY OF THE VIDEO!

6. The alleged victim recorded and then concealed a video lasting up to 18 minutes in length from the encounter on the porch, only submitting the short video lasting a few seconds. This is something IA should have figured out on their own and challenged her on. This missing evidence is telling.

7. There was no witness nor any physical evidence of the deputy assaulting the alleged victim. That deputy did, however, did wind up in the hospital the day after the alleged assault for back surgery, as he was off IOD for a serious injury.

8. The advocacy sergeant interviewed Deputy Richardson during the civil service proceedings and concealed the interview from both the defendant and the hearing officer, as the interview revealed exculpatory evidence and impeachment of the complainant’s credibility. This is a crime and a violation of department policy, subornation of perjury.

9. The hearing officer gave no weight to the observations of the complainant’s female supervisors, who called her unreliable, problematic, and with credibility issues. He also gave no weight to the fact the DA’s office rejected the criminal case and there was no prosecution, let alone conviction, on anything.

10. The alleged victim quit her job when faced with the possibility of being charged with perjury, right in the middle of the civil service proceedings. The innocent don’t walk away from their career, they stand and fight for it.

Bottom line 415, the Mandoyan case is but one of dozens of bad cases Diana Teran imposed on the department, forcing executives to terminate cases that were decided on already for lesser discipline, which includes the Mandoyan case. The email trail is very telling, and the county is desperate to get rid of this case before any trial would bring all of this out to broad daylight. The department was caught dirty, and many lives were ruined because of political agendas and a cop hating executive who ran roughshod over the entire command staff of McDonnell. The BOS is merely trying to protect his fake legacy in hopes he can run again against Villanueva, and they will spend millions of hard earned tax dollars on their quest to bury the truth.

I’d say your transgressive behavior, and that of Celeste Fremon, is to refuse to admit Mandoyan is guilty of only one thing, bad choice of girlfriend. That’s not a termination offense. At least the sheriff has the guts to honor due process, something the political establishment will never do.

@ KD- Victim shaming you are good at. All these women were monsters and bad. What does that say about the decision making process of your boy Mandoyan then?

Would we hire recruits with issues like these. I do not think so- unless again the standard’s have been thrown out the window. Yes Teran was evil; we all know that but to not take any responsibility and say.. well the Deputies terminated we all angels is also an untruth.

@ 415 Enigma- Yes…the department has been hiring these people. In my academy while McDonnell was Sheriff, we had 3 recruits caught lying. The training staff wanted to separate them. But command staff said no, they need the bodies.

Some deputies were not angels. But there were a lot that were fired for something they never did. And the department could never prove the allegations against these deputies. There were a lot of people fired that have been on the department for a while and had no discipline or write ups in their jackets.

What? Are you saying there’s more to this story than witness la merely reprinting of BOS press releases? All that rigamarole regarding the federal courts decision could have been reduced to, “we’re the establishment in LA, nothing to see here move along”.

If witness la wanted to do some real traditional journalism (instead of merely flacking for the “supes”) they should conduct a simple thought experiment prior to reporting on a story. Just imagine any agency in power is the probation department, and anyone who that agency is going after is a “justice involved youth of color”. That way at least witness la might at least question some of the narrative, but probably not.

@ KD- Enough with all this nonsense and spin.
So @ Dose summarized it pretty much

“I talked to a recently retired dept exec about AV and Mandoyan. His or her (ain’t saying who) take was that AV’s support for Mandoyan was no doubt payback to the Armenian community for their support during his campaign”.

So lets get the facts out. It has nothing to do with the facts of the case. All AV is doing is returning the favor provided. QUID PRO QUO would be the correct way to put it. So stop all your disconnected, awkward and reeking of late banter.

Advocacy unit? Imagine showing up to your skelly hearing and sitting directly in front of you is the person who had a role in the case that placed you there? The commander began his conversation with how well they were informed of the case. I’m sure Ara Hatamian made sure of that. It doesn’t get any closer to home than this!

@dreaming, I’m learning more and more about this case now than i did when it first came out.

Celeste and the Times portrayed it to be that the guy beat his girlfriend, got arrested, broke into her house and beat her again and was hired back by the sheriff.

I’ve come to find out the facts myself after speaking with a former commander friend of mine who was involved with this case.

His exact words were “the whole case is bullshit. The girl has zero credibility and was caught lying. No executive on the 8th floor (mind you this is under the McDonnell administration) thought Mandoyan should have been fired. Matter of fact, they did everything they can to prevent that from happening. Unfortunately, Diana Teran didn’t care what any executive had to say and made the executive decision to discharge the deputy.

I know of former executives who will be testifying on the Mandoyan’s case on his behalf and will expose many others in the process. Mandoyan’s case is first of a multitude of cases ready to jump on the burner.

I’m also now aware of the criminal investigation into cases such as this and others.

Just admit it. I know you are angry, dumb, weird, ignorant, venal as hell, and yes this running the day to day operations of the Department is totally over your ” dear leaders” head. All that swagger gone – now only filled with paranoia – that inferiority complex which reflects the AV leadership. Hence all this chaos with hiring Mandoyan, and then going to length’s to support this horrible decision.

In the history of Sheriff’s Department, no Sheriff can rival the sideshow cast of characters who compose AV world. They resemble the casting call for the set of “Real Housewives of Vulgaria”. Team AV is the dross in the Sheriff’s melting pot, combining reapers, Tall Paul’s coin collector’s, dead enders, ass -kissers, and the worst instincts and beliefs scrapped from the darkest corners of our Departments shame closet.

Not sure why you’re so vitriolic toward other dept members here. We weren’t the one who made you take your rank insignia off your collar (I’m assuming you have bars or better).

I’m not a super fan of AV, but you are clearly upset with him. I talked to a recently retired dept exec about AV and Mandoyan. His or her (ain’t saying who) take was that AV’s support for Mandoyan was no doubt payback to the Armenian community for their support during his campaign.

In my 30 years, I chose to keep my head down while doing the job, never really caring who the big cheese was. Doing a good job for myself, my partners, and my immediate supervisors was all I needed to keep going. Too many worried about who the new division chief or commander was. I’d just wait to see whose picture showed up on the wall – and still not really worry about it.

Anyone doing good work would do the same. Head down and do what needed to be done. 30 years? I’m guessing you like me, trusted that the leaders chosen were capable and responsible- maybe not always the best, but cared for the troops and looked out for them.
From what I see and hear now, only a few at the rank of Commander and above do either. Let me offer my humble opinion- P. Nelson, Ewell, Thatcher and Jacob work for the right reasons. They lead, care for those around them and set a good example. While I know most of the others, for the few that I don’t, I hope some could be added to my admittedly short list.

@AB – Yes, I was blessed with mostly outstanding supervisors and trusted them without reservation. The political issues were above my paygrade, so why worry about them? This dept could do with a flattening of the ranks. A commander once told us that he didn’t know what a commander was supposed to do. We laughed, but he said he was serious – he didn’t really have anything to do.

@ Dose – Like you, I have been around the block a few times. We all come in and do a good job for ourselves, our partners and for the communities we serve. Hell, we get paid pretty decent to do it. What I have an issue with are monikers on this site weaponize any attack anyone who felt varied from AV’s impulsive blowtorch called ” reform” although their subtle words give out who they are. An old scrappy dog like me can sniff this stuff out pretty easily.

This not reform, it is a dumpster fire. It is sloppy thinking, largely disorganized, and given to impulses that run him into organizational box canyons.

Well, there is no doubt that Sheriff V has gone through a HUGE learning curve. Some of his moves have been questionable and somewhat immature. However, he is far better than McD and Baca combined. At least the man is trying, and yes, you can tell he was not a former executive. This was a tough first year, to say the least…lol.

This guy is going to get better as time goes on. Many community advocates and elected officials are beginning to see his growth and ethical intentions. He is definitely not a politician. With ALADS behind him, CHIRLA and others (including the Dems who rebuffed him), he will be re-elected.

He won’t. He has already been denounced within the Democratic Party. They are done with him. To quote a leader of one of the LA Democratic Party groups, They won’t be endorsing Alex Villanueva in 2022 for re-election. “We will be looking for a real leader, a progressive, preferably Latino. This man is a rank amateur.”

@ Temple & B – You are absolutely right. I talk to people in the community ( whether it is at community events, at churches or even at City Hall meetings). Even leaders of our inter- faith community who once supported AV have abandoned him. Supposedly he ignores their calls, and is full of blustery- infused showmanship.

@ sumreality – The reality is, AV has turned the office of the Sheriff into a blowtorch against every employee who questions his judgement. Oh a little birdie told me 2 of his Chiefs are running roughshod over him. ( Riddle me this )

@ sumreality – AV has no support. There is a rebellion in his command staff. His arrogance personified his closest supporters and I mean were like family – guys like Ray ( yes Ray himself told me AV – took him out at the knee caps and is going off the rails – guess he would not listen to the voice of reasoning in the room ) ,and Sandy ( this must have been a heartbreaker ) -who left this dumpster fire AV has created.

Their take was that AV gives off the creepy uncanny Valley vibe of a rogue, possibly android or of a man with long and confusing ad-hoc wackadoodle rambling of human taxidermy.

The fact Sheriff Villanueva is living rent free in your mind just warms my heart. The more you write the more desperate you sound, further evidence our sheriff is spot on with what he’s doing. You went radio silent during the McNumbnuts years, did cat get your tongue back then?

Here’s the reality the old administration, haters, coat tail riders who have nothing coming need to face and accept, regardless if it’s a tough pill for ya’ll to swallow.

1) AV didn’t become the Sheriff by accident
2) Those who supported him and stood by him like the unions, ALADS, LACDP, churches, etc.. are still behind him and support him.
3) Community leaders support him
4) Department personnel, sworn and civilian back him 100%
5) Crime is down and morale is up more than in decades
6) ICE transfers are down 75%
7) Department staffing is up and will be at capacity by the end of 2020
8) AV has become a household name in less than a year. Remember, at the end of the day, it’s the name and face the average voter will know and recognize.
9) The Hispanic community and media loves the guy (minus the Times, but who cares, no one reads that garbage)
10) He’s not a politician or part of the political establishment which every voter appreciates and will pull for.
11) He’s reached out and touched every community the department serves by means of town halls, local meetings, etc.
12) He’s delivering what he’s promised.
13) He’s displayed loyalty and commitment to his personnel and the communities LASD serves.
14) He’s the most accessible Sheriff in decades.
15) He’s done all the above in less than a year and has 3 more years to do the same and more.

I can go on and on with his accomplishments within his first several months in office. Yes, there’s been bumps on the road but that was expected when you ax 20 or so self entitled pampered executives.

Coupled by having a bunch of angry white politicians who had their puppet taken away. You can yell and scream all you want, but facts are the facts and the truth is the truth.

So, chew on that for a bit. AV will be a multi term Sheriff.

Now let’s hear the, “you’re wrong. you must be a follower. You’re a AV loyalist. You’ve drank the kool-aid. None of what you say is true. Whaa, Whaa, Whaa…. I’m smarter than you and I’m going to write a dissertation using big words and quotes from novels because I’m smart and this is where I get to display that”

Catching up – You sound like someone hurt your little black hole called feelings. I see you are throwing online tantrums – snapping at the keyboard real loud, yelling pinche p_ _ _s on the top of your voice, throwing stuff against the wall- calling others MFers. You remind me of Kelly Anne Conway supporting Trump – twisting, rolling her eyes, deflecting , and off course spinning – you must be related – wait a minute you are Mrs AV. Oh thanks for another moniker to add to your list. How many do you have now like 10 different monikers.

None of this stuff you noted above is True. AV has lost the integrity and decency to lead the Department and the communities know about it. Oh you don’t have to get your racist side out. I know you hate White people.

So as we are talking about all of AV’s accolades :
Today is graduation day – Well inspection’s at 1500hrs.
We are going to welcome another law breaker aka Convict into the Circus: Jared Villanueva
23562 VC. Pretty soon he will have a “body attachment” on him for not showing up to Court – since he has a disdain for the Courts.

You think 100% of the Department’s personnel support the new Sheriff? There is no leader in the United States with a 100% approval rating save for the Mayor of a city with five residents that are relatives.

It is not enough for just the Hispanic community to respect the Sheriff. He represents a county full of people from many ethnicities and needs to work on behalf of all citizens. He has indeed lost some support behind his decisions to date. If you think the Sheriff has just had a few bumps in the road, you are terribly mistaken.

In reference to # 2)
Only 2 Unions supported him? At what cost?
You failed to mention the debacle concerning Mandoyan. If you’re going to go all in, then go all in with facts including acts which continue in a downward spiral.
Why bring in race blaming angry white politicians as if though they supposedly are the only naysayers.

# 1 . AV did become an accidental Sheriff. Mcbuckles did not campaign hard enough and he fooled the Democrats on this whole ” progressive” BS. He won because of the ” Trump” that is it. Latino’s came out to vote because they were pissed at Trump not because they saw themselves a savior in AV.

# 2. ALADS supported AV because line Deputies were shit scared of Mcbuckles. He did not let them work in the gray . On the Churches BS the inter- faith community had left AV. They do not want anything to do with him.

# 3. Name me one community leader who would stand out with AV in Public. Yes you got my point. They keep him at an arm’s length.

# 4. No they do not. They come in, put their heads down and do the work regardless of who the Sheriff is. Well the guys who work in the gray hated Mcbuckles, so I bet those guys like AV, but that is a very small percentage.

# 5. One big fat lie.

# 6. This another lie too. All we are doing is having DHS contractors come in and move bodies. So this is a window dressing.

@Napolean @Dose and @415 Enema are the same hater/coward hiding behind the keyboard.

Since you’re at the graduation, have the balls to go and let AV know about your displeasures with the department. He’s a civil guy and will actually listen to you like he does to others. But i doubt you will because having courage isn’t your character trait. You most likely will go up to him, shake his hand and say, “Hey boss, great seeing you. You’re doing a great job and i have your back.” It’s phony trolls like you that gives this department the shitty reputation. On the other hand, whimps like you are very few in a department this size.

No I will not attend the graduation. I have a unit to run and people to serve. Trust me I have talked to him and he knows how to ignore the truth and has his coterie of misfit dogs ( executives ) some of these pack dogs do his dirty work. When the time is right, I will make my disapproval of him known – don’t you worry about it. I do not write long dissertation papers like AV to show Departmental or Institutional delusions.

Just an FYI. I use a single moniker. I, unlike you have confidence in myself – You on the other hand are making it look like there is an army out there which has AV’s back.

Oh Since you will be attending please tell Jr. AV he will need a body attachment. He will definitely need it. It will come in handy.

@Catching up- You aren’t following along very well. I post only under this moniker, and 415 and I don’t agree on everything. My main beef with McDonnell was that he ceded his authority to an outsider (Teran) who ran roughshod over dept execs and threw deputies onto the BBQ every chance she got. My main beef with AV is that he came in with a vendetta and threw out some top execs who could have steered him away from the icebergs he keeps running into. That, and he didn’t even listen to the two execs he brought out of retirement and apparently tried their best to help him.

You sure are gullible. See this dog may be old and scrappy, but he also did not drink milk from a dead mother. You really think that through some unknown alchemy, you expect to out me. Your fan club may be mulishly immune to processing empirical facts within the Department, because it reflects your profoundly off-kilter persona consisting of spinning the facts in favor of your ” dear leader”.

If either one of you starts calling people out using real names—unless they are public officials and others already in some way in the public eye—you will find yourselves blocked. Also, any further mention of people’s children—grown or otherwise—will get your comments placed in the trash.

You wouldn’t know a 211 if someone stuck a pistol in your face and took your keyboard. Last time you saw what inside of a radio car looked like was when you were doing chow runs for the brass at your station. Who you foolin dork? Stay home IOD and make sure you’re home between the hours 0800-1700 Monday-Friday.

Wow, so much hatred and drivel coming from the usual suspects. Someone even had the gall to sneak in a McDonnell prop. I encourage the author of that one to try sell that one to active members of the department. You guys should just admit, the opposition to Villanueva is centered and driven by the political establishment who supported McDonnell and desperately want him back. They don’t want him back because of the great job he was doing, but what he was doing TO the LASD, turning it over to the OIG, COC, and the BOS for their control. McDonnell never gave a shit about the department and it showed, he had no investment in it’s future, just another notch on his belt.

Y’all need to wrap your minds around this: Villanueva supported an innocent man who was wrongfully accused, period. The evidence is already out, and admitted to by none other than McDonnell’s own executives. Now the BOS is going to spend a fortune to try to cover up the truth, but it will see the light of day, just like it will with all the criminal scandals coming due for former McDonnell executives, the OIG, and even county counsel. Yes Karma is a bitch, and had the disgraced McDonnell executives not plotted to destroy Villanueva’s start as sheriff, most likely none of what is coming would have been uncovered.

Keep Dreaming – Like Dose mentioned AV came in with a vendetta, and threw out some top execs because of past grudges. Some of those execs could have steered him away from the disarray he keeps running into. I do not think they really had loyalty to anyone at the top. Yes this is our Department’s history no matter who sits in that chair.

I think AV needs to talk honestly about our problems, so we can talk honestly about them and work to improve them is the best way to lead. By acknowledging our issues, we have the best chance of resolving them in a constructive way. Forget the past. What is done is done.

I agree talking honestly about the present would be a good way forward. Realistically, how many good options did Villanueva have coming into office? McDonnell’s entire command staff were openly campaigning against the challenger, and even then Villanueva kept a few of them after he took office. Wholesale change of leadership was needed, something McDonnell failed to do and cost him dearly.

Don’t underestimate Sheila Kuehl and company, working OT to plot Villanueva’s demise. McDonnell himself had a “reunion” of his command staff, and he is actively soliciting support for a return to power. What’s at stake is who is in charge of the LASD, the BOS or the sheriff.

In this era of judges overstepping their bounds and moving outside their lane as as supposedly “nuetral” arbitrators, orchestrators and learned practitioners of the law, I have little confidence in the judges decision. The law is so subjective and once a case reaches the courtroom the outcomes me can vary from judge to judge, county to count and state to state. In this particular case, I’m sure the judges judgement was tainted, clouded and biased by his political beliefs, press regarding this case, allegiance to the LA County political machine, ego and personnel biasis.

We have all seen numerous instances of court cases being brought before judges and left wondering why was that case allowed to proceed and how was the decision reached.

Even with all the crap being slung regarding this one former deputy in the hopes something will stick, I’m not convinced or persuaded. LASD has over 17k employees and the LA County BOS, WLA, LA Times, folks in this site and certain members of the establishment have had a hard on for this one guy since Sheriff Villanueva won the election. Really! Why? Sounds like a play straight from the playbook of impeach President Trump playbook.

Move on and let the Sheriff run his Department the way he wants to. The BOS sure did give the former Sheriff a pass and left him run the Department the way he (they) wanted to. T

Therin is is the problem. The status quo was upset by Sheriff Villanueva winning the election.

Prior to Sheriff Villanueva, previous sheriffs thought it was a great idea to lock themselves up in ivory towers, refusing to interact with the community they’re supposed to serve. Previous sheriffs also thought it was a great idea to use political patronage as the official policy of the department, regardless of the consequences. Previous sheriffs thought might made right instead of the other way around. Previous sheriffs thought his subordinates existed to serve him, and regarding the office as a crown or another notch on their belt.

If you have a problem with the way Sheriff Villanueva runs the department, please challenge him in the next election. He eagerly awaits the opportunity as he patiently builds his name brand and community support.

@Keep Dreaming, when you compare Villanueva to recent previous sheriffs I must admit you are not setting the bar very high. Unfortunately, you need to go back to the previous century when the sheriff surrounded himself with executives who (for the most part) were respected for their experience and dedication to the Department. The current sheriff has blatantly (and arrogantly) taken the recent trend to promote folks to executive positions who are unqualified or have questionable attributes to a new level.

Clearly, as the smartest guy in the room, he does not feel that he needs an experienced, knowledgeable command staff to run the day to day operation because he, Mr Know-it-all, will figure it all out for them. All they have to do is fill a chair and nod their heads like Dodger head give-away dolls.

It is actually laughable you say that previous Sheriffs had their subordinates there to serve them thus inferring that Sheriff Villanueva does not! Who are you kidding? The entire Department knows his executive staff exists only because AV waived his magic wand and made them in to who they are and where they sit. Not one of them are qualified for their position unless the prerequisite for an executive rank in the LASD is to be in the pocket of Alex Villanueva. Deep in the pocket. Even this century’s inept sheriffs have promoted individuals who have at least risen through the ranks (one way or another) and have gained a modicum of experience. But I have to give it Alex, no winks and nods here. Just blatant favoritism of pals, cronies, yes men/women and loyalists. Experienced, qualified persons, need not apply. But one slip of the tongue and you are out – ask Chief Del Mese or one suggestion too far and walk the plank – ask A/S Leyva.

As far as community support and “brand”, I guess any publicity is good publicity. But I would suggest negative story after story on the news far outweighs community meetings with 20 locals – most of who are paid agitators.

I’m thinking the only dreaming going on here is your hallucinations about the success of AV’s first year (OMG, has it only been ONE year!) in office.

Two bits, you should stop telegraphing your sense of superiority. The only people who worked their way up the ranks under previous sheriffs were primarily white yes man who did exactly what you accuse Villanueva’s executives of doing. The sheriff received a mandate to reform, and that is exactly what he’s doing.

Leyva got caught doing the boards dirty work, so I wouldn’t throw rocks at the sheriff for exercising his authority. Pitchess used to fire subordinates on the spot and bring female academy graduates to his office as their first assignment. Block made his daughter captain with 14 years on, zero experience and a GED.

Your problem is twofold: you overestimate what McDonnell execs bring to the table and underestimate what Villanueva’s promotees bring to the table. Hint: it has to do with experience serving the community.

@Dreaming (aka Fed Up, aka AV), no arguments here regarding the warts on Pitchess or Block and am certainly no fan of Buckles (Baca goes without saying). I assume you don’t recall Commanders, Chiefs and above under Block and Pitchess who were black, Hispanic and female. Maybe your memory (or knowledge) only matches your myopic view of the quality of the individuals promoted to executive posts by AV.

To use “community service” as the criteria for an executive post is like suggesting that a good deck hand should be made the navigator of a ship. Being an executive, managing a significant portion of a multi-billion dollar law enforcement agency, is just a mite different than shaking hands with community members. (of course you ignore the obvious fact that we all have spent a significant portion of our careers “serving the community”, but I digress) So let’s get real, it takes experience in managing to manage. Just like it takes experience in navigating to navigate. You go through the steps of learning the job. You don’t go from hand shaker or (shift watcher) to top manager overnight – well maybe if you are the smartest guy in the room it is no problem, but regular human beings don’t.
I won’t even talk about WHO these “community servants” are and why they were actually promoted by their patron AV – suffice to say they were not all the pillars of the hand shaking community.

This may sound to you like “superiority” to some, but it is actually reality – a world that is foreign to Alex Villanueva. It is real that AV is bitter because few liked him in his career (because of HIS superior attitude) and THAT is why he never got promoted (except by claiming some bogus bias garbage). It is real that people without good qualifications don’t make for good promotions. It is real that rehiring Mandoyan was a bad idea. It is real that ignoring good advice from the few experienced people AV has is not a good idea. It is real that thinking AV can take on the BOS is good for him OR the LASD is a bad idea. And it is real that thinking because he hablas espanol and has a Hispanic surname AV can be automatically be reelected is a loser.

Since WWII the U.S. Army has changed its service uniform–that’s the uniform a soldier wears to Grandma’s house on graduation from basic training–no less than FOUR times: from O.D. to a grey-green that was just one shade off from what the Nazi Wehrmact wore in WWII; from grey-green to dress blues (think John Wayne’s U.S. Cavalry here); and now back to WWII style O.D.s.

The Army’s camouflage combat uniform was changed AFTER it was discovered that the new camouflage pattern made the soldier on the battlefield MORE, not less, conspicuous to hostile forces.

It’s not so much about the uniform but rather the focus on spending resources and focus changing something at a time when there were far bigger issues that needed to be addressed. At the time, moral on the Department was in the dumps and as always equipment issues abounded whether in patrol or custody. Money was needed to repair the jails which continue to fall apart.

For the Sheriff to be worried about brass hardware on a duty belt and the font used on patrol cars seems representative of someone out of touch with the members Department.

Let’s not forget the Department was overspent at that time as well and the BOS gave the Sheriff a pass saying he was given a budget and allowed to use those monies how he saw fit to run his Department.

A change from chrome to brass and lighter weight to heavier weight fabric is not going to magically switch on a light and “command respect” or “change a mindset”. Appearances are fleeting, substance gets its done and is lasting. The hearts, minds, souls and tenor of an organization starts from the top down. Ethical, moral leadership that cares about its members is what builds strong future leaders, inspires the best out of people and sets the right tone not uniforms.

I would prefer to lead a group of the “Dirty Dozen” into battle versus the “Guard Guard”. Each has its particular purpose, time and place.

How quickly people forget that the outgoing Sheriff, his advisors and lackeys were so arrogant and confident he was going to win, he didn’t even go out into the communities and campaign. Is this the kind of Sheriff the people of LA County want and deserve, one who doesn’t even think the voting public are worth his time and energy to talk to? Or is this the kind of Sheriff the BOS, LA’s political cabal, Witness LA, LA Times and far left power brokers want to be able to control?

An independent Sheriff who thinks for himself and runs his Department the best way he sees fit based on his years of education and practical experience in the field of law enforcement is what we need.

Checks and balances is what we don’t have in Sacramento, with basically a one party ran state government and that’s just working out peachy (sarcasm).

Be specific about what’s not looking good. General dissatisfaction or echoing political establishment talking points means nothings, facts are what counts. Villanueva is introducing standards that have been virtually absent from the department, that is a good thing. Only the privileged few are the ones concerned they now have to compete on a level playing field, quite the shame, LOL.

BTW, are you concerned about the absence of checks and balances with the BOS? You should be.

Checks and balances with respect to the LA County Board of Supervisors and the independently elected Sheriff of LA County. The BOS cannot and should not have boundless power. The defunct LA County Police went by the way side and was fully controlled by the BOS. The Sheriff’s Department has been run like most, if not all around the country, by a duely elected Sheriff.

In an ideal world, the BOS and Sheriff would work together in a way that exemplifies mutual respect for ones position and place. One body or organization does not have total authority over the other.

The people voted for Sheriff Villanueva, just like President Trump and the states Governor. If you dont like the title holder, lick your wounds, learn to deal with, start ba recall position and run for the office yourself next time.

Not trying to get the last word in as you say. In the overall scheme, this post is truly not something worthy of being elevated to a competition. Right!!

@ Conspiracy – Here is the real truth – The BOS know that AV is a deeply revolting specimen even by the low standards of the Petri dish. They know that AV has been exiled from the mainstream of LA County power circles, only kept on as a curiosity by a few suckers here and there.

Words from a sore, bitter, angry and a defeated person. You seem to be upset that the tide is swinging heavily in AV’s favor. The best part about it is, he’s got 3 more years to capitalize on it. Chew on that for a bit.

Let’s see, he’s going to continue to make positive changes for the department and the community. He’s become a household name and will continue to add to it (I’m sure you know the value of name recognition, right?). He’s got every resource available to him along with the support of the Unions and organizations that supported him.

Aaaaaaaand most importantly, he’s going to have the incumbency in his favor. So, keep chewing. You’ll have another 12 years to be bitter.

Couldn’t have said it better myself. Looks like the people are finally getting it as are the contract cities. I’m sure the haters will be freaking the fuck out now. Great read from the Mayor of Carson.

If Sheriff V runs for re-election, he will win handily. Unlike McDonnell (who was also a one term incumbent), Sheriff V has strong support from the line personnel. This is something McDonnell never had, not even from day one. Sheriff V is building a strong office that is beginning to show momentum within LA County. He will be Sheriff as long as he wants to.